Kim Kardashian and Kanye West wed in Florence fortress

FLORENCE, Italy (AP) -- Kim Kardashian and Kayne West are officially "Bound" to each other.

The celebrity couple, who have made a habit of over-the-top, public displays of affection, got hitched Saturday in a decidedly private spot: a Renaissance fortress in Florence. The nuptials were confirmed to The Associated Press by Kardashian's rep, who noted the reporting of E! Online, the news site from the network that carries her reality show, "Keeping Up With The Kardashians." E! Online reported the wedding party consisted of her sisters, while stepfather Bruce Jenner walked her down the aisle. Andrea Bocelli and John Legend sang for the couple at the reception.

Fans crowd outside Forte Belvedere in Florence, Italy, Saturday, May 24, 2014. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West will wed and host a reception at Florence's imposing 16th-century Belvedere Fort on May 24, according to a spokeswoman at the Florence mayor's office. The couple rented the fort, located next to Florence's famed Boboli Gardens, for 300,000 euros ($410,000) and a Protestant minister will preside over the ceremony. Belvedere Fort was built in 1590, believed using plans by Don Giovanni de' Medici. Located near the Arno River, it offers a panoramic view of Florence and the surrounding Tuscan hills. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
(Gregorio Borgia)

The city's mayor's office had said a week earlier that the couple rented Belvedere Fort for a wedding to be performed by a Protestant minister, adding a flurry of excitement in the entertainment world about the ceremony, which had been anticipated for months. In the days before the nuptials, the pair held court in Paris, parading in front of photographers for pre-wedding festivities. Kardashian posted a picture on the social media site Instagram of the gardens of fashion designer Valentino's 17th-century Chateau de Wideville west of Paris, where one of their events was being held. The couple also toured the Chateau of Versailles.

Advertisement

The duo, who have one child together, were not shy about their romance; he briefly appeared on her reality show, and he gushed about his love for her in a talk show hosted by her mother, Kris Jenner. A topless Kardashian also starred in his music video for "Bound 2," in which they simulated having sex on a motorcycle bike.

West, 36, proposed to Kardashian, 33, in October on her birthday. He rented out San Francisco's AT&T Park to pop the question.

Fans gather to watch guests arriving, as they look inside one of the cars for Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and their guests, at the entrance of the Chateau de Versailles in Versailles, France, west of Paris, Friday, May 23, 2014. The gates of the Chateau de Versailles, once the digs of Louis XIV, will be thrown open to Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and their guests for a private evening on the eve of their marriage. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)
(Jacques Brinon)

But when it came to the wedding, media was only able to get photos of the many celebrity guests at the wedding.

Among the notables sighted arriving in Florence ahead of the nuptials were Steve McQueen, director of Oscar-winner ''12 Years a Slave"; Lala Anthony, wife of NY Knicks basketball star Carmelo Anthony; Jaden Smith, the actor and teenage son of Will and Jada Smith; and Joe Francis of ''Girls Gone Wild" fame.

The nuptials drew crowds of fans eager to witness the glitzy event, but they were kept far away from the heavily-walled 16th century fortress, which offers stunning views of Florence and surrounding Tuscan hills.

The rapper was recently quoted in the Florence newspaper La Nazione as saying he and Kardashian had come here previously incognito and he believed that their daughter, North, was conceived ''among the Renaissance masterpieces." The baby was born in June 2013.

It is the first marriage for West, and the third for Kardashian. Her last marriage, to professional basketball player Kris Humphries, in 2011, lasted 72 days. That ceremony was featured in a two-part TV special.

The city's mayor's office last week had said that the 300,000 euro ($420,000) rental fee for the fort would help fund restorations of Florence's art treasures.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Click the login link below to sign in with or to set up a Disqus account or to access your social networking account. When you do, your comment should be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (What are the guidelines?.) Report abuse by flagging a comment (mouse over the comment). Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Brattleboro Reformer. So keep it civil.

NEW YORK (AP) — Viewers said farewell to Amy Poehler and the gang of Pawnee, Indiana, bureaucrats on NBC's "Parks and Recreation," in a finale that made more of a dent online than on television. Full Story